Lackawanna County continues to encourage public participation in a brief broadband survey and speed test after recently extending the deadline for that element of a broader effort to eventually bolster local access to high-speed internet.

Part of the Lackawanna County Broadband Assessment Plan study being conducted by the engineering and consulting firm HRG, the survey and speed test will now remain open until Aug. 14, about a month later than originally planned. The survey “will help bridge the gap in broadband coverage and inform the County of potential broadband service needs,” per a county press release.

Officials have described the broader study as “a multifaceted project that will collect data and feedback over the course of several months to identify broadband service needs and focus future efforts on expanding internet service.” The final study and report will outline findings and proposed next steps “with the long-term goal of ensuring reliable high-speed internet is available to everyone in the county.”

Residents and businesses are asked to take the survey and speed test using the wired or Wi-Fi connection serving their home or business. They shouldn’t use their mobile phone data plan, as doing so won’t measure broadband speed. A link is available on the homepage of the county’s website, lackawannacounty.org.

Anyone unable to complete the online survey can download a printable version from the county’s website or pick up a copy at their local library or municipal building, the press release notes.

Officials also held a community broadband workshop last month at Abington Heights High School, another step in the broader broadband study project HRG is undertaking for the county under a two-year, $156,300 contract Commissioners Bill Gaughan and Chris Chermak approved in July 2025.

A cover sheet submitted with last year’s legislation authorizing the contract described the broadband venture as a “fact-finding endeavor” that should help the county secure funding for projects improving broadband infrastructure, including expanding its existing wireless network.

Residents with questions about the broadband survey and speed test, or who want to request a copy of the survey by mail or email, should contact internetsurvey@lackawannacounty.org.